The little girl

Outer characterization

The little girl could be considered the heroine of the short story “The Werewolf” by Angela Carter. Note that the character is not given a name, and is only referred to as "the child" throughout the story. The little girl's outer characterization initially reveals that she lives in the “northern country” (l. 1) described at the beginning. Readers find out that she lives with her mother (l. 29) and that her father is a hunter, a “mountaineer” (l. 38): “take your father’s hunting knife” (l. 31). The story also reveals that the little girl has a grandmother who lives “five miles” (l. 29) away. In the text, she is described wearing “a scabby coat of sheepskin to keep out the cold” (l. 33). Angela Carter stresses the fact that the little girl is poor and practical – she is more concerned about keeping out the cold than looking a certain way.

Inner characterization

The little girl is described as a “good child” (l. 29) who “does as her mother bids” (l. 29). Soon, readers find out an unexpected fact about the little gir...